"Sleep is good, he said, and books are better" -George R. R. Martin

“Of course I want to be like them. They’re beautiful as blades forged in some divine fire. They will live forever.

And Cardan is even more beautiful than the rest. I hate him more than all the others. I hate him so much that sometimes when I look at him, I can hardly breathe.

Jude was seven years old when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there, despite her mortality. But many of the fey despise humans. Especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King.

To win a place at the Court, she must defy him–and face the consequences.

In doing so, she becomes embroiled in palace intrigues and deceptions, discovering her own capacity for bloodshed. But as civil war threatens to drown the Courts of Faerie in violence, Jude will need to risk her life in a dangerous alliance to save her sisters, and Faerie itself.”

-Synopsis taken from Goodreads

Hey guys! Meaghan here again with another review! This time, I read The Cruel Prince, one of the most hyped up books for January 2018, with my discord server’s book club!

“If I cannot be better than them, I will become so much worse.”

Stars (Out of 10): 8.5/10 Stars

Favorite Character: This bounced around the entire book, but by the end, Jude

Spoiler Free: To start, I’m going to admit I really did not care for the Tithe series at all. I don’t remember the why behind it, but it just didn’t click with me. So fair enough, I was quite worried and cautious about starting this book, and as the hype rose around this book more and more, my excitement for it did not.

In the end, it was chosen as the book club book in the discord server I am in, and it was the Fairyloot January book. Without these two reasons, I may have skipped this book entirely. I am SO glad I did not!

It blew away any expectations I did have, and I didn’t see any connection between this book and my feelings for Tithe. It snatched my interest and kept it, through every twist and turn, every betrayal and backstab. It felt true to the world of Faerie, but still created characters to cheer for and love.

From the main character to all the small side characters, each felt fairly developed, and fairly realistic. We have Jude, a mortal grown in a cruel world by a cruel “father,” and admittedly this affected how she grew up as well. But we also have her twin, someone who accepted Faerie in a different way. In addition, all of the Fae live up to this cruel idea while still having a personality around that. They have their flaws, and this book shows them sticking to them regardless of how much we hope they’ll be “good.”

Additionally, while the world is a bit confusing in the beginning, it clears up quickly, and the fact you don’t remember the names and relations right off the bat is totally okay, as you’re often reminded of them in a way that is helpful, not repetitive or overbearing.

Lastly, the plot is absolutely fantastic, and is constantly packed with action and intrigue. There’s never a lull where I wanted to put the book down and take a break, and the pacing overall was much better than some of the other books I’ve read recently.

“Camellia Beauregard is a Belle. In the opulent world of Orléans, Belles are revered, for they control Beauty, and Beauty is a commodity coveted above all else. In Orléans, the people are born gray, they are born damned, and only with the help of a Belle and her talents can they transform and be made beautiful.

But it’s not enough for Camellia to be just a Belle. She wants to be the favorite—the Belle chosen by the Queen of Orléans to live in the royal palace, to tend to the royal family and their court, to be recognized as the most talented Belle in the land. But once Camellia and her Belle sisters arrive at court, it becomes clear that being the favorite is not everything she always dreamed it would be. Behind the gilded palace walls live dark secrets, and Camellia soon learns that the very essence of her existence is a lie—that her powers are far greater, and could be more dangerous, than she ever imagined. And when the queen asks Camellia to risk her own life and help the ailing princess by using Belle powers in unintended ways, Camellia now faces an impossible decision.

With the future of Orléans and its people at stake, Camellia must decide—save herself and her sisters and the way of the Belles—or resuscitate the princess, risk her own life, and change the ways of her world forever.”

-Synopsis taken from Goodreads

Hey guys! Meaghan here again with another review! Allison and I chose The Belles as our book to read together last week, so here is my review!

“No one is a prisoner. Even you have the power to make your own choices.”

Stars (Out of 10): 8/10 Stars

Favorite Character: Remy

Spoiler Free: This book was a rollercoaster ride. A slow start, a slow build up to the first big drop, the first big twist. Then suddenly you’re falling, and you’re not quite sure when you’ll stop. The drop is bigger than you expected, curving and twisting at moments, but then you start to get used to it. You start to expect each curve, each spin, and it starts to feel drawn out. You start to see the end of the ride, and wonder, “Is this it? Was the fun in the middle?” But you are wrong, and suddenly everything is thrown upside down and your heart is in your throat once again. Before you have the chance to process all this, the ride jerks to a stop, and forcing you off, leaving you to wait for the next ride once again.

That, in a long metaphor, is my experience with this book. I did really like it, and I really want to read what happens next, but there were some issues. It was mainly a pacing (slow, quick, slow, quick drop of info then end) issue, and some holes in the plot, but overall I do highly recommend this!

Additionally, the world is super interesting. While it could’ve been better explained at points, I really enjoyed learning about a world so obsessed with beauty, and all the different ways they go about getting that. Also, in order to make us want and truly see that beauty, we were given lushious descriptions of dresses, eyes, hair, and all the rest. We fell into this world wanting that beauty as well, wanting to see what creation Camellia made next, even with all the problems that came with it.

“Camellia Beauregard is a Belle. In the opulent world of Orléans, Belles are revered, for they control Beauty, and Beauty is a commodity coveted above all else. In Orléans, the people are born gray, they are born damned, and only with the help of a Belle and her talents can they transform and be made beautiful.

But it’s not enough for Camellia to be just a Belle. She wants to be the favorite—the Belle chosen by the Queen of Orléans to live in the royal palace, to tend to the royal family and their court, to be recognized as the most talented Belle in the land. But once Camellia and her Belle sisters arrive at court, it becomes clear that being the favorite is not everything she always dreamed it would be. Behind the gilded palace walls live dark secrets, and Camellia soon learns that the very essence of her existence is a lie—that her powers are far greater, and could be more dangerous, than she ever imagined. And when the queen asks Camellia to risk her own life and help the ailing princess by using Belle powers in unintended ways, Camellia now faces an impossible decision.

With the future of Orléans and its people at stake, Camellia must decide—save herself and her sisters and the way of the Belles—or resuscitate the princess, risk her own life, and change the ways of her world forever.”

Spoiler Free: The Belles has a beautiful cover, but the world is what really reels you in. While at first it may seem overwhelming, but as the story goes on, the world of the Belles is one of the most unique I’ve ever read. From teacup lions and elephants to the magic of the Belles, the world building is phenomenal. You can easily come up with images in your head as the descriptions flow across the pages. However, that doesn’t mean this story was perfect and there were some things I didn’t enjoy as much, such as the cliche love interest and the lack of common sense most of the characters seem to share.

“When sixteen-year old Piper is cast as Romeo in her school’s production, she’s as surprised as everyone else. Not only because she’s a girl, but also because she’s from one of the region’s most notorious ultraconservative families.

But when the school principal demands that the part be recast “appropriately” or the show cannot go on, Piper faces a choice: become the figurehead to appeal the principal’s decision or accept the message the administration’s ultimatum sends to the school’s gay students, including her new friends. Namely, that they should be ashamed of who they are or whom they happen to love.

Pitched as Dirty Dancing meets Saved!, when the daughter of one of the region’s most notorious ultraconservative families is cast as Romeo in her school production, drama is sure to follow.”

-Synopsis taken from Goodreads

Hey guys! Meaghan here again with another review! This was another one of those e-ARCs I had lying around from last year, and I finally got to it!

First off, I would like to thank the publisher and author for providing me this ARC to review. Please note that the version I read was an advanced copy, and certain events/language may be changed in the published edition.

Stars (Out of 10): 8/10 Stars

Favorite Character: Tony

Spoiler Free: Looking back, I’m not 100% what made me request this book from NetGalley, since it’s not the type of story I usually enjoy, but I’m really glad I did.

I was originally quite put off by our narrator, Piper, because her ideologies are so much different from mine. At certain points in the beginning of the story, it was actually quite hard to read her opinions on certain people and things. But as Piper started questioning herself and beliefs, and warming up to the idea of diversity, I started warming up to her!

While I can’t say I liked every part of the plot, and certain parts of the ending really got on my nerves, it overall was a really nice story. One of the first things I noticed when reading was how natural/realistic the writing felt, and how it seemed to fit Piper perfectly. It probably is what helped me warm up to Piper as fast as I did!

In the end, I highly recommend this story. It’s not a book that’s supposed to push forward religious teachings, but rather provides another viewpoint, and seems to promote a general idea of questioning what we’re taught about other people, and taking the time to learn and understand people who are different from us.

“Presented by James Patterson’s new children’s imprint, this deliciously creepy horror novel has a storyline inspired by the Ripper murders and an unexpected, blood-chilling conclusion…

Seventeen-year-old Audrey Rose Wadsworth was born a lord’s daughter, with a life of wealth and privilege stretched out before her. But between the social teas and silk dress fittings, she leads a forbidden secret life.

Against her stern father’s wishes and society’s expectations, Audrey often slips away to her uncle’s laboratory to study the gruesome practice of forensic medicine. When her work on a string of savagely killed corpses drags Audrey into the investigation of a serial murderer, her search for answers brings her close to her own sheltered world.

The story’s shocking twists and turns, augmented with real, sinister period photos, will make this dazzling, #1 New York Times bestselling debut from author Kerri Maniscalco impossible to forget.”

-Synopsis taken from Goodreads

Hey guys! Meaghan here again with a review! (Everytime I feel like I’m caught up with these things, I finish another 3 books!)

“There’s nothing better than a little danger dashed with some romance.”

Stars (Out of 10): 8/10 Stars

Favorite Character: Thomas

Spoiler Free: This book completely surpassed all of my expectations! I’m usually not that into Victorian/historical novels, but this story was unlike anything I had ever read before. I loved the mystery combined with the setting, and the characters were just fantastic!

The plot itself was extremely gripping, as we hopped from crime to crime, suspect to suspect, etc. You could also tell a lot of thought and research went into the events written, as it both seemed to follow forensic developments at the time as well as tried to hold to most of the facts from the Jack the Ripper killings themselves. And even though I did figure out the killer way too quickly, I was not able to guess the reason why they were killing, which still left the ending exciting and shocking.

Additionally, I absolutely adored the characters. The dynamic between them all, especially between Audrey Rose and Thomas, was just super fun to read! The touch of romance and flirtations also worked to create excitement in what would have otherwise been dull moments in the story, and I think it worked well as an extra background layer! Definitely excited to see where the rest of this series takes the characters!

My only (small) issue with the book would have to be my difficulty getting into it at first. I started this book right after Graceling, which admittedly hooked me quite fast, so it took some focused reading to finally get me fully enraptured in the book. However, this happened around 30-40%, which is still much faster than some books hook me.

“He’s b-a-a-ack! Despite their best efforts, Carter and Sadie Kane can’t seem to keep Apophis, the chaos snake, down. Now Apophis is threatening to plunge the world into eternal darkness, and the Kanes are faced with the impossible task of having to destroy him once and for all. Unfortunately, the magicians of the House of Life are on the brink of civil war, the gods are divided, and the young initiates of Brooklyn House stand almost alone against the forces of chaos. The Kanes’ only hope is an ancient spell that might turn the serpent’s own shadow into a weapon, but the magic has been lost for a millennia. To find the answer they need, the Kanes must rely on the murderous ghost of a powerful magician who might be able to lead them to the serpent’s shadow . . . or might lead them to their deaths in the depths of the underworld. Nothing less than the mortal world is at stake when the Kane family fulfills its destiny in this thrilling conclusion to the Kane Chronicles.”

-Synopsis from Goodreads

Hey guys! Allison here. I finished my reread of the Kane Chronicles last weekend and I have to say, the Kane Chronicles is Rick Riordan’s most underrated series.

Quote: “If a person cast no shadow at all, he wouldn’t be alive. His existence became meaningless.”

Stars (Out of 10): 8.5

Favorite Character: I love them all equally.

Spoiler Free: While it’s rare for a finale book to be the shortest in a series, this finale book manages to pull it off. It’s very well written and is a good finale, but there are moments where the pacing kind of slips from you. I don’t know if it’s from the stress the characters are facing, or just from being a busy, busy book, but the deadlines the characters have don’t always feel so imminent. Other than that, the characters all got the endings that felt right for them and it was just a good finale altogether.

“Katsa has been able to kill a man with her bare hands since she was eight—she’s a Graceling, one of the rare people in her land born with an extreme skill. As niece of the king, she should be able to live a life of privilege, but Graced as she is with killing, she is forced to work as the king’s thug.

She never expects to fall in love with beautiful Prince Po.

She never expects to learn the truth behind her Grace—or the terrible secret that lies hidden far away . . . a secret that could destroy all seven kingdoms with words alone.

With elegant, evocative prose and a cast of unforgettable characters, debut author Kristin Cashore creates a mesmerizing world, a death-defying adventure, and a heart-racing romance that will consume you, hold you captive, and leave you wanting more. ”

-Synopsis taken from Goodreads

Hey guys! Meaghan here again! Graceling was another book I read recently (and absolutely loved!) The review pretty short, but this is my favorite book of the year so far!

“When a monster stopped behaving like a monster, did it stop being a monster? Did it become something else?”

Stars (Out of 10): 10/10 Stars

Favorite Character: Katsa and Po

Spoiler Free: I couldn’t put this book down once I truly got into it. Looking back, I can’t really find one thing I disliked about this book. The world was built fantastically, and explained in an easy to understand way while also not leaving anything important out. All the characters felt fully fleshed out, and entirely their own, constantly sticking to their values. Additionally, the romance, while fantastic, did not entirely dominate the book nor change the characters involved. And lastly, the plot was one that kept going from the first line to the last.

It was a tale about discovery, love and friendship, and of breaking free. A tale about fighting and learning to love (both others and yourself.) It was a tale unlike any I’ve read before, and I still cannot stop thinking about it.

This is quite possibly the best and most well-rounded fantasy stand-alone I have ever read. It didn’t feel rushed, and the build up constantly contained excitement while still giving the entire novel a base to build upon. And while the world does continue on into other books, I am still sad to leave these lovely characters here.

“Magnus Chase, a once-homeless teen, is a resident of the Hotel Valhalla and one of Odin’s chosen warriors. As the son of Frey, the god of summer, fertility, and health, Magnus isn’t naturally inclined to fighting. But he has strong and steadfast friends, including Hearthstone the elf, Blitzen the dwarf, and Samirah the Valkyrie, and together they have achieved brave deeds, such as defeating Fenris Wolf and battling giants for Thor’s hammer, Mjolnir. Now Magnus and his crew must sail to the farthest borders of Jotunheim and Niflheim in pursuit of Asgard’s greatest threat. Will they succeed in their perilous journey, or is Ragnarok lurking on the horizon?”

-Synopsis taken from Goodreads

Hey guys! Meaghan here with another review! I actually read this early January, but just finally am sharing the review here. Whoops!

“The world will end. The big picture cannot be changed. But in the meantime, as Loki once said, we can choose to alter the details. That’s how we take control of our destiny.”

Stars (Out of 10): 8/10 Stars

Favorite Character: Hearthstone

Spoiler Free: I have to say, this finale was leagues better than the end of the Heroes of Olympus series, which goes to show that even as a veteran author, Riordan is still growing throughout his novels.

I have to preface this by saying that I went into this novel with a goal beyond enjoyment, as I actually had to write a paper on the gender roles shown within this novel/series for a class assignment. So I definitely went in with a much more critical mindset, especially in terms of the characters. However, I still ended up thoroughly enjoying this book, even if it felt like “homework” sometimes!

To begin with, I loved the abundance of minor mythological characters within the storyline. It wasn’t just Thor and Loki and other big Norse names, but plenty of lesser known ones as well. While this does mean there are a lot of introductions and new names to remember, it also removes biases/expectations we might have had of these characters from other forms of media (specifically films). For example, the representation of Thor within this novel is a far cry from the popular Marvel films, which often causes readers (or me at least) to expect different actions/emotions from the character.

Overall, it was a wonderful ending to a wonderful series. This installment was action-packed, with every chapter containing either an important plot point or a moment of character growth. Additionally, while I have some issues with the ending, it overall was a realistic yet proper send-off to the series, while still hinting at more (as Riordan always does!)

“From the author of the unforgettable New York Times bestseller We Were Liars comes a masterful new psychological suspense novel–the story of a young woman whose diabolical smarts are her ticket into a charmed life. But how many times can someone reinvent themselves? You be the judge.

Imogen is a runaway heiress, an orphan, a cook, and a cheat.
Jule is a fighter, a social chameleon, and an athlete.
An intense friendship. A disappearance. A murder, or maybe two.
A bad romance, or maybe three.
Blunt objects, disguises, blood, and chocolate. The American dream, superheroes, spies, and villains.
A girl who refuses to give people what they want from her.
A girl who refuses to be the person she once was.”

-Synopsis taken from Goodreads

Hey guys! Meaghan here with another review. A few years ago I read We Were Liars and loved it, so I was definitely intrigued when I saw E. Lockhart was coming out with a new book!

“For anyone who has been taught that good equals small and silent, here is my heart with all its ugly tangles and splendid fury.”

Stars (Out of 10): 6.5/10 Stars

Favorite Character: Honestly, this was the kinda book where every character wasn’t necessarily made to be likable, but rather to be interesting.

Spoiler Free: I was so hooked on this book! With so many twists and turns to navigate, and the unique way of the story being told backwards, I could not put this book down! I enjoyed almost every chapter of this novel.

However, with such a positive intro, you may be wondering why this book only has 6.5/10 stars. This is all due to how the book ended, and while I won’t go into too much detail here to avoid spoilers, it honestly was kind of disappointing. There was all this build up and exciting twists and turns that ended up feeling like they went nowhere, and the potential was wasted.

Additionally, another thing to know going into this book is that the writing style is fairly clear cut and simple, and thus the connection you get to the characters, and sometimes the plot, is also that. There are no beautiful words and luxurious phrases to make you think the MC, Jule, is the best person out there. There is simply what happened, occasionally what Jule thinks of it, and that’s about it. This detachment is also enhanced somewhat by the use of third person, since we never seem to be directly controlled by Jule’s thoughts. However, all of this ends up adding to the story, and allows for the reader to create their own opinions and theories about what the hell went down in this novel without the biases of the narrator overshadowing it completely.

“Ever since the gods of Ancient Egypt were unleashed in the modern world, Carter Kane and his sister Sadie have been in trouble. As descendants of the House of Life, the Kanes have some powers at their command, but the devious gods haven’t given them much time to master their skills at Brooklyn House, which has become a training ground for young magicians.

And now their most threatening enemy yet – the chaos snake Apophis – is rising. If they don’t prevent him from breaking free in a few days’ time, the world will come to an end. In other words, it’s a typical week for the Kane family.

To have any chance of battling the Forces of Chaos, the Kanes must revive the sun god Ra. But that would be a feat more powerful than any magician has ever accomplished.

First they have to search the world for the three sections of the Book of Ra, then they have to learn how to chant its spells. Oh, and did we mention that no one knows where Ra is exactly?

Narrated in two different wisecracking voices, featuring a large cast of new and unforgettable characters, and with adventures spanning the globe, this second installment in the Kane Chronicles is nothing short of a thrill ride.”

-Synopsis from Goodreads

Hello guys! It’s Allison here, back with my Throne of Fire review. I’ve been sick so I have had all the time in the world to read.

Quote:“We can be slow to realize what is important. Sometimes, it takes us a while to appreciate something new, something that might change us for the better.”

Stars (Out of 10): 8.5

Favorite Character: Zia Rashid

Spoiler Free: This second book did not suffer through second book slump. In fact, it realistically followed its predecessor, giving some space between the first book. It kept up the humor of a Rick Riordan book. It also kept up the action and pace. You can see the build up for a good solid finale, but the book holds itself on its own.